Supporting structure for concurrently supporting a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, and transport structure comprising the same

ABSTRACT

A supporting structure for concurrently supporting a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, comprises a plurality of receptacles. The receptacles are arranged in a regular arrangement, are formed by circumferential side-walls, and an upper side of the supporting structure is formed as a plate-shaped carrier. The receptacles are polygonal in shape when viewed in a plan view. A side-wall is formed as a common partition wall between respective two directly adjacent receptacles of the plurality of receptacles. The receptacles can be directly adjacent to each other, which enables optimum packing density, especially with a hexagonal basic shape of the receptacles. Due to the shared partition wall, filigree, double-walled structures can be effectively avoided, which considerably simplifies production by injection molding from a plastic material. Thereby, also a very high inherent stiffness of the supporting structure can be achieved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention in general relates to the treatment of containersfor substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, andin particular to a supporting structure for concurrently supporting aplurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical orcosmetic applications, such as vials, ampoules or cartridges.

2. Description of the Related Art

As containers for the storage and stocking of medical, pharmaceutical orcosmetic preparations with administration in liquid form, especially inpre-dosed quantities, medicine containers, such as vials, ampoules orcartridges, are used on a large scale. These generally have acylindrical shape, can be made of plastics or glass and are available inlarge quantities at low cost. The containers are increasingly deliveredto a pharmaceutical manufacturer or to a plant for further processingand are further processed in supporting structures in a predeterminedgeometric arrangement, while the containers are held or accommodated inthe supporting structure. This requires cost-effective and durablesupporting structures in which the containers are held or accommodatedin a space-saving arrangement.

Chinese Patent Application CN 103359348-A discloses a supportingstructure in the form of a tray having a bottom on which a plurality ofvertical positioning pins is provided between which the containers canbe received without mutual contact. The supporting structure is formedby injection molding of a plastic material. The vertical positioningpins also act as guide portions for inserting the containers into thereceptacles formed by the positioning pins. However, the containers areheld with relatively large clearance. The packing density of thecontainers that can be achieved is relatively low.

International Patent Application WO 2012/126582 A1 discloses a furthersupporting structure for syringe bodies, comprising a plate-shapedcarrier on which a plurality of cylindrical receptacles withcircumferential side-walls are formed. The syringe bodies rest withtheir retaining flanges on the upper ends of the cylindricalreceptacles. To reinforce the carrier, the cylindrical receptacles areconnected to each other via connecting webs on the underside of thecarrier. The distance between the cylindrical receptacles is relativelylarge, so that the packing density that can be achieved with thesupporting structure is not optimal.

International Patent Application WO 2014/130349 A1 discloses a similarsupporting structure. The receptacles have no polygonal basic shape, buthave a circular basic shape. Furthermore, adjacent receptacles are notdisposed directly adjacent to each other.

International Patent Application WO 2017/038878 A1 discloses a furthersupporting structure comprising a plate-shaped carrier on which aplurality of cylindrical receptacles with circumferential side-walls areformed. The cylindrical receptacles are arranged at a relatively smalldistance from each other, which, however, makes the production of twoside-walls at a relatively small distance from each other necessary.This requires very thin-walled, easily breakable and difficult-to-coolrib-like contours when manufacturing by plastic injection molding. Thisin turn leads to a very complex and therefore also expensive tool duringtool design. In addition, such a design can also have a negative effecton the service life of the mold used for injection molding. Since thefiligree structures cannot be cooled during injection molding, or canonly be cooled very laboriously, the design also has a negative effecton the cycle time of the manufacturing process, which leads to higherunit costs.

German Utility Model DE 20 2016 107 209 U1 discloses a furthersupporting structure of the aforesaid type in which internal receptaclesof the supporting structure are formed by axial positioning cylindersand separation webs connecting the positioning cylinders together. Thisarrangement allows a higher packing density of the containers. However,the production of the supporting structure by plastic injection moldingis relatively complex. German Utility Model DE 20 2016 107 209 U1discloses another supporting structure for pharmaceutical containers,which is manufactured from a plastic material by injection molding.However, the receptacles do not have a polygonal cross-section and arenot formed by circumferential side-walls. Positioning cylinders, whichare connected to each other via separating webs, are used to positionthe pharmaceutical containers. The actual lateral support of thepharmaceutical containers is provided by guide ribs formed on thesurfaces of the positioning cylinders.

U.S. Patent Application 2018/0208377 A1 discloses a further supportingstructure in which the holders are formed by relatively thin separatingand connecting webs, which makes the production of the supportingstructure by plastic injection molding relatively complex.

U.S. Patent Application 2015/0166217 A1 discloses in FIGS. 5 and 6 atransport and packaging container for pharmaceutical containers, whereina supporting structure having a plurality of honeycomb-shapedreceptacles for receiving the pharmaceutical containers therein isarranged on a bottom of the transport and packaging container. Thereceptacles must be flexible and expandable in order to allow thepharmaceutical containers to be inserted, but then to keep them clampedin place. Other supporting structures are also disclosed, in which theside-walls of the receptacles can be adjusted relative to each other inorder to temporarily expand the receptacles for inserting thepharmaceutical containers.

Similar supporting structures are disclosed in German Patent ApplicationDE 10 2012 103 896 A1.

International Patent Application WO 2010/086128 A1 discloses asupporting structure according to the preamble of claim 1 which isproduced by plastic injection molding. The supporting structurecomprises a plurality of receptacles for supporting the containers,which are arranged in a regular arrangement and are polygonal in shapewhen viewed in a plan view. To be more precise, the receptacles areformed by star-shaped positioning protrusions, which are formedintegrally with the bottom of a tub-shaped carrier. The star-shapedpositioning protrusions are arranged at a distance from each other andare not directly connected to each other. This supporting structure canbe produced cost-effectively by injection molding from a plasticmaterial. For a sufficient stiffness of the carrier, however, it must bedesigned to be relatively stable, which results in higher weight andhigher material costs.

There is therefore a need for further improvement in the manufacture ofsupporting structures of the aforementioned type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein provide an improved supportingstructure for concurrently supporting a plurality of containers forsubstances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, whichcan be easily and cost-effectively manufactured and which providesadvantageous high stiffness and high packing density of the containers.It should be possible to insert the containers easily and reliably intothe receptacles of the supporting structure and to remove them from themagain. Further aspects of the present invention relate to transportstructures or transport or packaging containers and to a sterilepackaging structure with such a supporting structure.

According to the present invention there is provided a supportingstructure for concurrently supporting a plurality of containers forsubstances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications,comprising a plurality of receptacles for receiving the containers. Thereceptacles are arranged in a regular arrangement and are formed byrespective circumferential side-walls, an upper side of the supportingstructure is formed as a plate-shaped carrier, and the side-walls andreceptacles project perpendicularly from the plate-shaped carrier.

According to exemplary embodiments of the invention, the receptacles arepolygonal in shape when viewed in a plan view, i.e. with a polygonalbasic shape; a side-wall is formed as a common partition wall betweentwo directly adjacent receptacles of the plurality of receptacles.

The receptacles can therefore be disposed directly adjacent to eachother, which enables an optimum packing density. Due to the sharedpartition wall, filigree, double-walled structures can be effectivelyavoided, which considerably simplifies production by injection moldingof a plastic material. Thin-walled rib-like contours in tool design,which can easily break and are difficult to cool, can thus be avoidedaccording to the present invention, resulting in a longer tool life.Furthermore, the cycle time of the manufacturing process can besignificantly shortened and unit costs can be reduced.

In particular, the partition walls can be relatively thin-walled and yeta high inherent stiffness of the supporting structure can be achieved.This allows a relatively low weight of the supporting structure withreduced material usage and low manufacturing costs.

At the same time, a very high inherent stiffness of the supportingstructure can be achieved, because all side-walls are directly connectedto each other via corner regions of the receptacles and together form ahighly symmetrical hollow honeycomb structure, formed by the side-wallsprotruding perpendicularly from a plate-shaped upper side of thesupporting structure.

In the context of the present invention, a common or shared partitionwall shall mean, in particular, that the partitions, when viewed in across-section, are each formed integrally and without any substantialperforations. The height of the respective common partition wallessentially corresponds to the axial length of the two directly adjacentreceptacles, so that the respective common partition wall may be made ofa solid material over at least 80% of this height.

Because the upper side of the supporting structure is designed as aplate-shaped carrier, with the side-walls and the receptacles protrudingperpendicularly to it, the inherent stiffness of the supportingstructure can be further increased.

In some embodiments, the side-walls of the receptacles are each formedas planar, flat partitions, the side-walls of directly adjacentreceptacles converging in a connecting region which extends in thelongitudinal direction of the receptacles and is arranged in a cornerregion of the respective receptacles. This results in connection regionsof highly symmetrical shape, which, for example in the case of ahexagonal arrangement of the receptacles, are star-shaped when viewed ina plan view. This enables a highly symmetrical transfer of forces, whichresults in an advantageously high inherent stiffness of the supportingstructure.

In some embodiments, the receptacles are hexagonal in shape when viewedin a plan view and arranged directly adjacent to each other in a regulararrangement with hexagonal symmetry.

In some embodiments, the receptacles are octagonal in shape when viewedin a plan view, with four adjacent receptacles arranged in a rhombicarrangement enclosing a central connecting portion whose thickness isgreater than the thickness of the common partition walls.

In some embodiments, the central connecting portions each enclose acavity that extends in the longitudinal direction of the adjacentreceptacles. Conveniently, this hollow space has a circular orrectangular cross-section. In the manufacture of the supportingstructure by injection molding from a plastic material, this cavity isconveniently defined by a cuboid protrusion on one half of a moldingtool, which extends in opposite directions to mandrels on a second halfof a molding tool, which define the shape of the receptacles. Aprotrusion at the upper end of this cylindrical or parallelepipedalprotrusion of the mold can serve as a rigid connection with the oppositehalf of the mold, making the supporting structure even more precise.

In some embodiments, a plurality of apertures, in particular circularopenings, are formed in the upper side of the plate-shaped carrier sothat a gas can flow from the upper side to the underside of theplate-shaped support. This can advantageously support steamsterilization of the supporting structure and the containers held on it.

In some embodiments, the apertures are formed as circular openings andon the underside of the plate-shaped support, frustoconical protrusionsare formed which enclose the openings. The protrusions can be used, forexample, as spacer members to define the distance between two supportingstructures in a vertically stacked arrangement.

In some embodiments, the upper ends of the side-walls facing an upperside of the supporting structure have an arched concave shape. Inparticular, the upper ends of the side-walls do not protrude from theupper side of the supporting structure at any point. This makes iteasier to stack the supporting structures vertically on top of eachother, as unwanted tilting of the upper ends of the side-walls isavoided.

In some embodiments, guide ribs are formed on the side-walls whichextend in the longitudinal direction of the receptacles and support thecapturing or insertion of the containers into the upper ends of thereceptacles. The upper ends of the guide ribs may have lead-in bevelswhich are inclined relative to the guide ribs to further facilitateinsertion of the containers into the receptacles from the upper side ofthe supporting structure.

In some embodiments, the guide ribs are arranged in corner regions ofthe receptacles, a flattened portion is provided at least at the lowerends of the guide ribs, the corner regions of which are rounded. Thisoptimized design of the guide ribs facilitates a low-abrasion insertionof the containers even if they are not centered but tilted relative tothe center axis of the receptacles, as explained in more detail furtherherein.

In some embodiments, the guide ribs protrude inwards into thereceptacles in one direction towards the geometric center of therespective receptacle.

In some embodiments, holding portions are provided at the lower ends ofthe receptacles in order to hold or retain the containers in thereceptacles and to limit the axial mobility of the containers in thereceptacles towards the lower end of the receptacles. Basically, oneholding portion, which is arranged at a suitable position at the lowerend of the respective receptacle, is sufficient for this purpose.Conveniently, two holding portions are disposed diametrically oppositeto each other at the lower ends of the receptacles. In principle,however, the holding portions may also be circumferential or essentiallycircumferential, with one or more apertures formed along thecircumference of the respective receptacle at its lower end.

In some embodiments, the lower ends of the receptacles each merge into acircular end ring having a central opening. On the one hand, this endring keeps the distance between the lower ends of the side-wallsconstant, which further increases the inherent stiffness of thesupporting structure. On the other hand, this end ring allows anadvantageously symmetrical flow of force, which also further increasesthe inherent stiffness of the supporting structure.

In some embodiments, the lower ends of the side-walls of the receptaclesjointly span a plane that extends in parallel with an upper side of thesupporting structure. The lower ends of the side-walls form pointsymmetrical connecting regions corresponding to the symmetry of thearrangement of the receptacles, which further improves the flow of forcein the supporting structure and further increases the inherent stiffnessof the supporting structure.

In some embodiments, the end rings project beyond the plane jointlyspanned by the lower ends of the side-walls, thus forming another planein which the lower ends of the side-walls of the receptacles areconnected to each other.

In some embodiments, an outer diameter of the end rings is smaller thana minimum opening width of the receptacles on an upper side of thesupporting structure, so that a plurality of supporting structures ofidentical configuration can be arranged in a stacked arrangement inwhich the end rings of the upper supporting structure dip into upperends of the receptacles of an underneath lower supporting structure.This favors a vertically stacked arrangement of several supportingstructures of identical configuration.

In some embodiments, spacer members are provided on an underside of thesupporting structure to mechanically limit a depth of insertion of theend rings of an upper supporting structure into the upper ends of thereceptacles of the underneath lower supporting structure.

According to the present invention, very precise positioning andguidance of the containers in the receptacles is possible, especially inthe case of long, thin or slim containers, while achieving a very highpacking density, because glass-to-glass contact of containers becomesless likely with increasing restrictions on freedom of movement.

The necessary guide length can also be reduced by greatly reducing thefreedom of movement of the containers in the receptacles. This isrelevant, for example, for long, thin or slim containers, such ascartridges or syringe cylinders, especially with small formats, becausethese can often only be inserted up to the lower half into thereceptacles. Due to the very precise positioning and guidance of thecontainers according to the present invention, it is neverthelesspossible to reliably ensure that there is no glass-to-glass contact.Thus material can also be saved according to the present invention.

In some embodiments, the guide ribs may even have a certain extension inthe circumferential direction of the receptacles, i.e. need not only bedesigned as linear, very narrow ribs, because this results in a reducedsurface pressure when the receptacles are accommodated in thereceptacles, so that the local particle quantity due to materialabrasion at the guide ribs is smaller, i.e. it is then less critical foroptical inspection systems. Namely, a reduction of the surface pressureresults in lower mechanical loads on the surfaces (i.e. the softerplastic surfaces of the supporting structure).

In some embodiments, the length of the receptacles is matched to thelength of the containers so that the upper or lower ends of thecontainers protrude from the receptacles and are therefore freelyaccessible from above the supporting structure. This can be used forfurther processing or treatment of the containers while they areaccommodated in the receptacles and held by the supporting structure.For example, a supporting structure (so-called nest) can be temporarilyheld in a holding frame of a process station, e.g. at a filler of drugs,while the substance is filled into the containers held on the supportingstructure via the filling openings. Or stoppers or plugs are pushed intothe ends of the containers to close the containers while the containersare held by the supporting structure. Or the ends protruding from thereceptacles can be used to grip the containers and remove them from thereceptacles.

In some embodiments, a transport structure for containers is providedconsisting of a combination of the supporting structure as disclosedabove and a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical,medical or cosmetic applications held thereon, the containers areaccommodated at least in sections in the receptacles of the supportingstructure and are axially secured to the supporting structure asoutlined above. For this purpose, the supporting structure may bedesigned in particular as a so-called nest for holding vials, cartridgesor similar pharmaceutical containers.

In some embodiments, the containers are cylindrical and have an upperend with a constricted neck portion and a shoulder portion adjoining theconstricted neck portion and merging into a cylindrical side-wall of thecontainers, the opening width of openings at the lower ends of thereceptacles is matched to an outer diameter of the upper ends of thecontainers in such a manner that the upper ends of the containers extendthrough the openings and that the shoulder portions of the containersare directly supported on holding protrusions to limit the axialmobility of the containers in the receptacles when the containers areaccommodated upside-down in the receptacles.

In some embodiments, there is provided a transport structure forcontainers consisting of a combination of the supporting structure asdisclosed above and a plurality of containers for substances forpharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications held thereon, thecontainers are accommodated in the receptacles and axially secured tothe supporting structure. In particular, the containers may be designedas vials, which are held or supported upright in the receptacles of thesupporting structure.

In some embodiments, there is provided a transport or packagingcontainer for a plurality of containers for substances forpharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, the transport orpackaging container being box-shaped, a supporting structure, which isformed as a so-called nest, as outlined above, is accommodated in thebox-shaped transport or packaging container together with the containersheld thereon, to hold the plurality of containers inside the transportor packaging container.

Particularly, the transport or packaging container may be closed orsealed by a gas-permeable plastic film, in particular by a plastic filmwhich is formed from a gas-permeable braid of plastic fibers and inparticular is a Tyveck® film, in order to enable sterilization of thecontainers by the inflow of a gas through the gas-permeable plasticfilm.

For sterile transport and storage, a sterile packaging structure mayfurther be provided, comprising at least one transport structure asoutlined above or at least one transport or packaging container asoutlined above and the containers accommodated therein, the at least onetransport structure or the at least one transport or packaging containeris accommodated in at least one sterile outer packaging bag andsterilely packed against the environment. Here, the at least one sterileouter packaging bag may comprise a gas-permeable portion which is formedin particular by a braid of plastic fibers, such as polypropylene fibers(PP).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention,and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and theinvention will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a supporting structureprovided according to the present invention in a plan view;

FIG. 1B illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 1A in a view frombelow;

FIG. 1C illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 1A in a perspectivetop view from a first side;

FIG. 1D illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 1A in a perspectivetop view from a second side;

FIG. 1E illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 1A in a perspectivepartial section;

FIG. 1F is a perspective view of the supporting structure of FIG. 1Afrom below in a highly magnified view;

FIG. 2A illustrates the stacked arrangement of two supporting structuresprovided according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention in a perspective side view;

FIG. 2B illustrates the stacked arrangement of two supporting structuresof FIG. 2A in a perspective view from below;

FIG. 2C illustrates the stacked arrangement of two supporting structuresof FIG. 2A in a perspective partial section and viewed in a plan view;

FIG. 2D illustrates the stacked arrangement of two supporting structuresof FIG. 2A in a perspective partial section and viewed from below;

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a supporting structureprovided according to the present invention in a plan view;

FIG. 3B illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 3A in a perspectiveview from below;

FIG. 3C illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 3A in a perspectiveview in a plan view;

FIG. 3D illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 3A in anotherperspective view from below;

FIG. 3E illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 3a A in anotherperspective view in a plan view under a different angle;

FIG. 3F illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 3A in a perspectivepartial section;

FIG. 3G illustrates the supporting structure of FIG. 3A in a highlymagnified partial view from below;

FIG. 4A illustrates in a schematic plan view, the support of the edge ofa vial on two guide ribs in a supporting structure according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 4B illustrates how a cartridge is accommodated in a receptacle of asupporting structure according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4C illustrates how a vial is accommodated in a receptacle of asupporting structure according to the present invention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. The exemplifications set out hereinillustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications arenot to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in anymanner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1A to 1D show an exemplary embodiment of a supporting structure 1provided according to the present invention in different views. Thesupporting structure 1 comprises a plurality of receptacles 5 which arearranged in a regular arrangement and serve for accommodatingpharmaceutical containers, in particular vials or cartridges, therein.According to the present invention the receptacles 5 have a polygonalcross section. A hexagonal basic shape may be used, as shown in theembodiment of FIGS. 1A to 1F, or an octagonal basic shape, as shown inthe embodiment of FIGS. 3A to 3G. In principle, however, a triangularbasic shape or a square, rectangular or rhombic basic shape is alsoconceivable.

In correspondence to the basic shape of the receptacles 5, they arearranged directly adjacent to each other in a regular arrangement. Thusin FIG. 1A a hexagonal, honeycomb-shaped arrangement of the receptacles5 can be seen, and in FIG. 3A an octagonal arrangement. Generally,however, the receptacles can be arranged in rows and columns extendingperpendicularly thereto.

The opening width of the receptacles 5 of identical shape is matched toa maximum outer diameter or maximum outer dimension of the containers tobe accommodated therein in such a manner that only a relatively smallclearance is required to accommodate them. The containers may beaccommodated in the receptacles 5 over by far the largest part of theiraxial length in order to prevent unwanted tilting or wobbling of thecontainers in the receptacles. The clearance of the containers in thereceptacles 5 is adjusted appropriately by guide ribs, as explained inmore detail further herein.

The receptacles 5 are formed by side-walls 10, which are formedcircumferentially, which should not rule out the possibility that, forexample, to reduce weight or save material, cutouts or recesses areformed in the side-walls 10 in sections. The side-walls 10 may protrudeat right angles from the plate-shaped upper side 2 of the supportingstructure 1. In order to facilitate the demolding of the supportingstructure 1 from a mold used for injection molding, the side-walls canin principle also be inclined radially inwards at a relatively smallangle of, for example, a maximum of 1° or a maximum of 2° to a verticalon the upper side 2.

As shown in FIG. 1A, due to the polygonal basic shape of the receptacles5, a common partition wall is formed between two directly adjacentreceptacles 5, which also serves as a side-wall 10 of both receptacles 5adjacent to each other. This means that the side-walls 10 are formedintegrally and of a solid material, i.e. rectangular in cross-section.This should expressly not exclude the possibility that slits or recessesare provided at the lower or upper ends of the side-walls 10. In anycase, the side-walls used as common partitions are made of a solidmaterial over at least 80% of their height (H; cf. FIG. 1E or 3D).

To facilitate the handling of the supporting structure 1, its upper sideis designed as a plate-shaped carrier 2 with rounded corners. Thesupporting structure 1 can be gripped by access openings 9 in the upperside 2, which are provided offset to each other on two opposite sides ofthe supporting structure 1. Furthermore, openings 25 are formed asthrough-holes at several positions in the plate-shaped carrier 2, whichcan serve in particular as positioning holes in order to enable thesupporting structure 1 to be aligned precisely in position on asupporting structure receptacle with corresponding positioning pins orprotrusions, which is particularly useful, for example, when inserting(nesting), filling, closing or removing (denesting) the containersaccommodated in the supporting structure. On the underside of carrier 2,these openings 25 may be enclosed by frustoconical protrusions 26 asshown in FIG. 1B, which may also serve as spacer members to adjust thespacing between supporting structures when stacked one above the other,as described in more detail further herein with reference to FIGS. 2A to2D.

As shown in FIGS. 1C to 1E, the upper ends of the side-walls 10 facingthe upper side 2 of the supporting structure 1 may have an arcuatelyconcave course, with a cusp in the centre between respective cornerregions 12 of the receptacles 5 and with vertices at the connectingregions 11 of several side-walls 10. In any case, in some embodimentsthe upper ends of the side-walls 10 do not project beyond the upper side2 of the supporting structure 1, which allows the supporting structuresto be stacked, as described in more detail further herein with referenceto FIGS. 2A to 2D.

As shown in FIG. 1B, in the hexagonal arrangement of the receptacles 5shown three side-walls 10 each converge in star-shaped connectingregions 11. All connecting regions 11 are directly connected to eachother via the associated side-walls 10. There are no double-walledstructures on the underside of supporting structure 1, so that thesupporting structure 1 has an advantageously high inherent stiffnesseven with low wall thicknesses of the side-walls 10 and upper side 2.This inherent stiffness is increased by the fact that, in accordancewith FIG. 1B, the outer side-walls 10 of the receptacles 5 facing theedge 3 of the supporting structure 1 are directly connected to oneanother, forming a circumferential, zigzag-shaped edge web on theunderside of the supporting structure 1. To further increase thestiffness of the supporting structure 1, the edge 3 is angled at rightangles to the upper side 2 (see FIG. 1C). In order to further increasethe stiffness of the supporting structure 1, the aforementionedcircumferential, zigzag-shaped edge web on the underside of thesupporting structure 1 is connected to the angled edge 3 at severalpositions via connecting webs 28.

Holding protrusions 22 acting as holding portions are provided at thelower ends of the receptacles 5, which extend radially inwards into thereceptacles 5. Each receptacle 5 has two holding protrusions 22 whichare diametrically opposite to each other. The holding protrusions 22limit the axial mobility of the containers accommodated in receptacles 5by a positive locking and retain the containers in the receptacles 5, asdescribed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4B and 4C. Inprinciple, a single holding protrusion 22 is also sufficient for thispurpose, which may also be designed to be circumferential or essentiallycircumferential.

At their lower ends, the receptacles 5 are axially bounded bycircumferential end rings 14, which are connected to the lower ends ofthe side-walls 10. The aforementioned holding protrusions 22 may beformed on these end rings 14. As can be concluded from FIG. 1F, thelower ends of the side-walls 10 together form a hexagonal pattern withopenings (the openings 15). In some embodiments, the lower ends of theside-walls 10 together span a plane that extends in parallel with theplate-shaped upper side 2 of the supporting structure 1. The end rings14 project downwards from this plane. The end rings 14 form a continuoustransition between the polygonal (here hexagonal) basic shape of thereceptacles 5 and a circular ring which encloses the openings 15 at thelower ends of the receptacles 5. This offers advantages when designingmold halves for injection molding the supporting structure 1.

As can be seen from FIG. 1F, the side-walls 10 in the corner regions 12are connected to each other over the entire axial length of thereceptacles 5. The point symmetrical (here star-shaped) connectingregions 11 ensure an even flow of force. Overall, these measuresincrease the inherent stiffness of the supporting structure 1.

Guide ribs 18 are provided on all side-walls 10 of the receptacles 5,which protrude radially inwards into the receptacles 5, so that theside-walls of the containers lie directly against the guide ribs 18 andare guided by these when they are inserted into the receptacles 5. Theguide ribs 18 essentially extend over the entire length of thereceptacles 5 in their longitudinal direction. The guide ribs 18 maybegin at a slight distance from the upper side 2 of the supportingstructure 1 and extend down to the lower end of each receptacle 5, ormore precisely to the transition region to the end rings 14. Lead-inbevels 19 which are inclined at an acute angle relative to the guideribs 18 may be formed at the upper ends of the guide ribs 18. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 1F, the guide ribs 18 are designed as flatlead-in bevels. The upper ends of the lead-in bevels 19 merge into theside-walls 10. The guide ribs 18 can become wider symmetrically from theupper end to the lower end in the longitudinal direction of thereceptacles 5.

Although it is shown that the guide ribs 18 are arranged in the middleregion of the side-walls 10, according to the present invention theguide ribs 18 may be arranged in the corner regions 12 of thereceptacles 5, as shown for the embodiment of FIGS. 3A to 3G. Theclearance of the containers in the receptacles 5 can be preciselyadjusted by the excess length of the guide ribs from the associatedside-wall 10 or from the associated corner region 12.

As can be concluded from FIG. 1F, an outer diameter of the end rings 14is smaller than a minimum opening width of the receptacles 5 at theirupper ends. This allows identical supporting structures to be stacked ontop of each other to save space. Such a stacked arrangement of twosupporting structures 1 a and 1 b of identical configuration isdescribed further herein in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2A to2D.

In this stacked arrangement, the end rings 14 at the lower ends of thereceptacles 5 of an upper supporting structure 1 a are slightly insertedin the upper ends of the receptacles 5 of the underneath lowersupporting structure 1 b, so that the upper supporting structure 1 acannot slip laterally relative to the lower supporting structure 1 b dueto this positive locking. In the embodiment shown, the insertion depthor the distance between the supporting structures 1 a, 1 b is adjustedby spacer members 31, which rest on or engage in an associated structureon the upper side of a lower supporting structure 1 b. As can beconcluded from FIG. 2A, several rectangular slots or recesses 30 areformed on the upper sides 2 of the supporting structures 1 a, 1 b andseveral corresponding (rectangular) spacer members 31 are provided onthe lower sides of the supporting structures 1 a, 1 b, which interlockpositively in the stacked arrangement.

The sectional drawings shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D show that the lower endsof the side-walls 10 are widened to form connecting webs 16 which fillthe entire space between the end rings 14 and together span a plane inparallel with the plate-shaped upper side 2 of the supporting structure1. The end rings 14 protrude from these connecting webs 16. FIGS. 2C and2D show that there can be sufficient clearance between the upper edge 13of the side-walls 10 and the connecting web 16 in the stackedarrangement, which facilitates stackability, since undesirable tiltingof the upper ends 13 of the side-walls 10 of a lower supportingstructure 1 b in the spaces between the end rings 14 of an uppersupporting structure 1 a is always prevented. It is therefore advisablethat an upper supporting structure 1 a rests on the upper side 2 b of alower supporting structure 1 b only in the regions of spacer members 31(or of the frustoconical protrusions 26 (see FIG. 1C)).

FIGS. 3A to 3G show a supporting structure according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention in different views. In contrast tothe previously described embodiment, the receptacles 5 in thisembodiment are octagonal. This means that two directly adjacentreceptacles 5 always share only a single side-wall 10. A centralconnecting portion 40 with an essentially rectangular basic shape isthus formed centrally between four adjacent receptacles 5 arranged in arhombic arrangement. In principle, this central connecting portion 40may also be formed integrally of a solid material. This centralconnecting portion 40 may be formed as a cuboid cavity 43, which extendsfrom the upper side 2 of the supporting structure 1 over the entirelength of the receptacles 5 and whose lower end is open. Thisnevertheless allows a sufficient inherent stiffness of the supportingstructure 1 to be achieved. As can be concluded from FIGS. 3A and 3B,there is an opening at the upper end of cavity 43. In the manufacture ofsuch a supporting structure by injection molding from a plasticmaterial, this cavity 43 is defined by a cuboid protrusion on one halfof the mold. A protrusion at the upper end of this cuboid protrusionserves as a rigid connection with the opposite half of the mold, so thatthe supporting structure 1 can be manufactured even more precisely. Theopening 42 formed by this protrusion can serve later as a vent openingto allow a gas to flow between the underside and the upper side of thesupporting structure 1, for example a gas used to sterilize thesupporting structure 1 and/or the containers held thereon, such asethylene oxide (ETO). As can be concluded from FIG. 3G, in thisembodiment the guide ribs 18 are always arranged in the corner regions12 of the receptacles 5. The guide ribs 18 can project inwards into thereceptacles 5 in the direction (x) towards the geometric center M of therespective receptacle 5, so that the guide ribs 18 are diametricallyopposite in each case. However, it is also conceivable that the guideribs project inwards into the receptacles 5 in a direction, whichdeviates from this direction (x) at a small angle (for example in therange between 1° and 10°).

A supporting structure with a hexagonal basic shape of the receptacles 5can be used particularly for containers of a relatively small nominalvolume (e.g. up to max. 15 ml), of a relatively small diameter or forhigh, relatively slim containers. A supporting structure with anoctagonal basic shape of the receptacles 5 can be used in particular forcontainers of a relatively large nominal volume (e.g. larger than 15ml), of a relatively large diameter or for low, relatively widecontainers.

The inherent stiffness of the supporting structure 1 allows inparticular further processing of the containers while they areaccommodated in the receptacles 5. It is conceivable, for example, thata supporting structure 1 is placed along the edge of its underside on aholding frame and then closure elements, such as closure plugs, areplaced on the ends of the containers and these are axially displaced,such as concurrently for all the containers accommodated in thereceptacles of the supporting structure or for one or more rows ofcontainers. The forces prevailing in this case are sufficientlycompensated by the supporting structure so that only a slight bending ofthe supporting structure occurs (e.g. a maximum of 2.0 mm over thelength of the supporting structure), so that tilting of the closureelements can be avoided.

Conventionally, the axial course of the guide ribs 18 is optimized forbetter capturing and insertion of the containers into the receptacles.Examples can be found in German Utility Model 20 2016 107 209 and inU.S. Patent Application 2018/0208377 A1 or also in International PatentApplication WO 2017/038878 A1. However, the guide ribs 18 areconventionally not optimized with regard to their cross-section.However, an unfavorable cross-section of the guide ribs, especially whenthe containers are slightly eccentric, can lead to unwanted abrasion oroptically visible damage, such as scratch marks (so-called vialmarks),which are not accepted by the customer.

The following geometries are generally conceivable for the front side(facing the container) of the guide ribs 18:

-   Case a) the front side of the guide ribs 18 is flattened and planar,    the corner regions of the guide ribs 18 are rounded;-   Case b) the front side of the guide ribs 18 is flattened and planar,    the corner regions of the guide ribs 18 are edged and right-angled;-   Case c) the front side of the guide ribs 18 is concavely curved    (with a radius of curvature matched to the outer contour of the    container to be accommodated), corner regions of the guide ribs 18    are rounded.

Extensive research has shown that with a perfect centering of thecontainers in the receptacles 5, the geometry according to case a)allows a good contact and guiding surface for the containers, that goodresults can also be achieved with the geometry according to case b), butthat an optimal contact and guiding surface for the containers ispossible with the geometry according to case c).

However, surprisingly the result is totally different if the containersare not perfectly aligned, when the containers are inserted into thereceptacles. Thus, for the insertion of the containers into thereceptacles in case of an imperfect alignment of the containers, it hasbeen found that the geometry according to case a) allows an optimalcontact and guiding surface for the containers, that good results canalso be achieved with the geometry according to case b), but that thegeometry according to case c) results in only an insufficient contactand guiding surface for the containers, which in particular leads toundesired abrasion or optically visible damage, such as scratch marks(so-called vialmarks).

Since an imperfect alignment of the containers is the more frequent casewhen inserting the containers into the receptacles, according to thepresent invention a compromise for the geometry of the guide ribs 18 maybe used, namely that at least at the lower ends of the guide ribs 18 (orover the entire length of the guide ribs 18) in each case a flattenedportion 18 a is provided, the corner regions 18 b of which are rounded,as shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4B shows how a cartridge 50 is accommodated, which can be insertedvertically from above into the receptacle 5 of a supporting structure.Cartridges 50 are hollow cylindrical, having a cylindrical side-wall 52which merges over a shoulder portion 54, which extends obliquelythereto, into a constricted neck portion 55 having a smaller outerdiameter than the cylindrical side-wall 52, at the front end of which awidened rim 56 having an ejection opening 58 is formed. This can beclosed by a stopper or plug (not shown). The stopper can be secured atthe front end of the cartridge 50 by a crimped metal lid (so-calledpre-crimped cartridge). At its rear end, the cartridge 50 is open, witha filling opening 57 through which a liquid substance can be filled.

When a cartridge 50 is inserted vertically from above into thereceptacle 5, the shoulder portion 54 is finally directly supported onthe holding protrusions 22. In this condition, the front end of thecylindrical side-wall 52 lies directly against the lower end of theside-wall 10 and is centered and supported in the receptacle 5. In thiscondition, the front end of the cartridge including the constricted neckportion 55 and the widened upper rim 56 extends through the openingbetween the holding protrusions 22, possibly including a metal lidcrimped onto it (not shown). The metal lid does not come into contactwith the holding protrusions 22, so that no forces are exerted on theseand the stopper can safely close the filling opening 57 of the cartridge50, even if large axial forces act on the cartridge 50, for example wheninserting plugs into the filling opening 57, while the cartridge 50 isaccommodated and supported upside down in the receptacles 5 in theposition of FIG. 4B. In this position, the rear ends of the cartridges50 protrude from the receptacles 5.

In a similar manner, FIG. 4C shows how a vial 51 is accommodated, whichis inserted from vertically above into the receptacle 5 of a supportingstructure. It is shown that the vial 51 was inserted upright. Inprinciple, however, the vial 51 may also be inserted upside down, in thesame way as the cartridge, as shown in FIG. 4B. In the fully insertedstate, the bottom 53 of the vial 51 is supported on the holdingprotrusions 22 and the vial 51 is thus axially secured in the receptacle5.

A supporting structure 1, as described above, can be used for thestorage and transport of pharmaceutical containers such as vials orcartridges. For handling, the supporting structure 1 can be gripped andguided by grippers or the like via the access openings 9. Thepharmaceutical containers can be further processed or treated whilebeing supported or held by the supporting structure 1, as describedpreviously. For sterile transport, such a supporting structure may bestored as a so-called nest in a tub-shaped transport or packagingcontainer, for example in the manner disclosed in European PatentApplication EP 2 868 593 A1, the contents of which are herebyincorporated herein by reference. The transport or packaging containermay be closed or sealed by a gas-permeable plastic film, in particularby a plastic film which is formed from a gas-permeable braid of plasticfibers and in particular is a Tyveck® film.

For sterile transport, such a transport or packaging container may beplaced in at least one sterile outer packaging bag, possibly togetherwith other similar transport or packaging containers, and packed sterileagainst the environment. The at least one sterile outer packaging bagmay comprise a gas-permeable portion or even be completely formed by it,which is formed in particular by a braid of plastic fibers, such aspolypropylene fibers (PP).

As mentioned previously, the design of the supporting structure isoptimized with regard to the packing density that can be achieved. Inthe solution according to the present invention, the respectivelyadjacent walls of the receptacles are combined to form one common wallwhich is commonly used or shared by two adjacent receptacles.Thin-walled, easily breakable and difficult to cool rib-like contours intool design can thus be avoided according to the present invention,resulting in a longer tool life. Furthermore, the cycle time of themanufacturing process can be significantly shortened and unit costs canbe reduced.

According to the present invention, the conventional round geometry ofthe receptacles is converted into a hexagonal structure for relativelysmall volumes of the containers (e.g. up to 15 ml) and into an octagonalstructure for even larger volumes of the containers (e.g. larger than 15ml), in which an arrangement of the receptacles under 45° and 90° ispossible. A very high packing density can thus be achieved. At the sametime, the design of the mold for manufacturing by injection molding froma plastic material is significantly simplified. It is very easy toimplement a cooling of the tools and the material and the cores of thetools can be produced in a simple and also standardized manner.

The design of the supporting structure has also been optimized withregard to stiffness and lightweight construction. In particular thehoneycomb design offers considerable advantages with regard to thebending or warpage requirements (a bending of max. 2 mm in relation tothe total area of the holding surface and measured when empty could beeasily achieved).

The angular design of the receptacles in combination with the guide ribsalso provides good accessibility for steam sterilization (e.g. using ETOin an autoclave).

A horizontal (flat) tool separation also has a very favorable effect onthe separating forces during demolding of the supporting structure andthus on the risk of formation of disturbing burrs and thus potentialparticles due to tool wear. In addition, tool separation no longer takesplace in the immediate region of the supporting structure itself.

Due to the optimized position of the mold parting line, a supportingstructure provided according to the present invention has proven to befully cleanroom-compatible, because it significantly reduces the risk ofparticle formation during demolding of the supporting structure but alsoduring subsequent use (especially due to the optimized geometry of theguide ribs 18).

A supporting structure in the sense of the present invention can beformed integrally, in particular by injection molding from a plasticmaterial. Generally, the production by 3D-printing from a plasticmaterial is also conceivable. Thus a further aspect of the presentinvention relates to a computer- or processor-readable file, also fortransmission via networks, such as an internal computer network or of acompany or via the Internet, comprising instructions or control commandswhich, when loaded by a computer or processor, cause a 3D-printer, underthe control of the computer or processor, to print a supportingstructure, as disclosed in the present application, of a suitablematerial, in particular of a plastic material, in three-dimensionalform.

While this invention has been described with respect to at least oneembodiment, the present invention can be further modified within thespirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is thereforeintended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the inventionusing its general principles. Further, this application is intended tocover such departures from the present disclosure as come within knownor customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains andwhich fall within the limits of the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 supporting structure-   1 a upper supporting structure-   1 b lower supporting structure-   2 upper side/plate-shaped carrier-   2 a upper side of upper supporting structure 1 a-   2 b upper side of upper supporting structure 1 b-   3 angled edge-   4 rounded corner region-   5 receptacle (polygonal)-   7 rounded edge region-   10 side-wall-   11 connection region of several side-walls 10-   12 corner region of receptacle 5-   13 upper edge of side-wall 10-   14 end ring-   15 opening-   16 connecting web-   18 guide rib-   18 a flattened front end of guide rib 18-   18 b rounded corner region of guide rib 18-   19 lead-in bevel of guide rib 18-   22 holding protrusion-   25 opening-   26 truncated conical protrusion-   28 connecting web-   30 slot-   31 spacer member-   40 central connection portion-   41 upper edge of central connecting portion-   42 opening-   43 cavity-   50 cartridge/container-   51 vial/container-   52 side-wall-   53 bottom-   54 shoulder portion-   55 constricted neck portion-   56 upper rim-   57 filling opening-   58 ejection opening-   H height of side-wall 10-   M geometric center of receptacle 5-   x extension direction of guide rib 18

What is claimed is:
 1. A supporting structure for concurrentlysupporting a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical,medical or cosmetic applications, the supporting structure comprising: aplurality of receptacles configured to receive the containers, thereceptacles being arranged in a regular arrangement and formed byside-walls which are each of circumferential construction, thereceptacles being polygonal in shape when viewed in a plan view, aside-wall is formed as a common partition wall between respective twodirectly adjacent receptacles of the plurality of receptacles; and anupper side formed as a plate-shaped carrier, the side-walls and thereceptacles projecting perpendicularly from the plate-shaped carrier. 2.The supporting structure of claim 1, wherein a height of the respectivecommon partition wall corresponds substantially to an axial length ofthe two directly adjacent receptacles and the respective commonpartition wall is formed from a solid material over at least 80% of thisheight.
 3. The supporting structure of claim 2, wherein a plurality ofcommon partition walls is formed by a plurality of the side-walls andthe common partition walls, viewed in a cross-section, are each formedin one piece and without perforations.
 4. The supporting structure ofclaim 1, wherein the side-walls of the receptacles are each formed asflat partition walls and the side-walls of directly adjacent receptaclesconverge in a connecting region which extends in each case in alongitudinal direction of the receptacles and is arranged in a cornerregion of the respective receptacles.
 5. The supporting structure ofclaim 1, wherein the receptacles are each hexagonal in shape when viewedin a plan view and the receptacles are arranged in a regular arrangementdirectly adjacent to one another with hexagonal symmetry.
 6. Thesupporting structure of claim 1, wherein the receptacles are eachoctagonal in shape when viewed in a plan view, wherein four adjacentreceptacles arranged in a rhombic arrangement each enclose a centralconnecting portion with a thickness that is greater than a thickness ofthe common partition walls.
 7. The supporting structure of claim 6,wherein the central connecting portions each enclose a cavity extendingin a longitudinal direction of the adjacent receptacles.
 8. Thesupporting structure of claim 1, wherein a plurality of apertures isformed in the upper side of the plate-shaped carrier, for positioningthe supporting structure by correspondingly formed positioningprotrusions on an associated receptacle of the supporting structure. 9.The supporting structure of claim 8, wherein the apertures are formed ascircular openings and wherein frustoconical protrusions, which enclosethe openings, are formed on an underside of the plate-shaped carrier.10. The supporting structure of claim 1, wherein upper ends of theside-walls facing the upper side of the supporting structure have anarcuately concave curved course.
 11. The supporting structure of claim1, wherein guide ribs are formed on the side-walls and extend in alongitudinal direction of the receptacles.
 12. The supporting structureof claim 11, wherein lead-in bevels are formed at upper ends of theguide ribs, which are inclined relative to the guide ribs.
 13. Thesupporting structure of claim 11, wherein the guide ribs are arranged incorner regions of the receptacles, wherein at least at lower ends of theguide ribs a respective flattened portion is provided with cornerregions that are rounded.
 14. The supporting structure of claim 11,wherein the guide ribs protrude inwardly into the receptacles in adirection towards a geometric center of the respective receptacle. 15.The supporting structure of claim 1, wherein at least one holdingportion configured to hold the containers in the receptacles is providedat lower ends of the receptacles, the holding portions being formed asholding protrusions each of which protrudes radially inwards into theassociated receptacle.
 16. The supporting structure of claim 1, whereinlower ends of the receptacles each merge into a circular end ring with acentral opening.
 17. The supporting structure of claim 16, wherein lowerends of the side-walls of the receptacles jointly span a plane extendingin parallel with an upper side of the supporting structure, the endrings projecting beyond the plane jointly spanned by the lower ends ofthe side-walls.
 18. The supporting structure of claim 17, wherein anouter diameter of the end rings is smaller than a minimum opening widthof the receptacles on an upper side of the supporting structure, so thata plurality of supporting structures of identical configuration arearrangeable in a stacked arrangement in which the end rings of an uppersupporting structure are inserted into upper ends of the receptacles ofan underneath lower supporting structure.
 19. The supporting structureof claim 18, wherein spacer members are provided on an underside of thesupporting structure to mechanically limit a depth of insertion of theend rings of an upper supporting structure into the upper ends of thereceptacles of the underneath lower supporting structure.
 20. Asupporting structure for concurrently supporting a plurality ofcontainers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmeticapplications, the supporting structure comprising: a plurality ofreceptacles configured to receive the containers, the receptacles beingarranged in a regular arrangement and formed by side-walls which areeach of circumferential construction, the receptacles being polygonal inshape when viewed in a plan view, a plurality of the side-walls beingformed as common partition walls between respective two directlyadjacent receptacles of the plurality of receptacles, the commonpartition walls, viewed in a cross-section, each being formed in onepiece and without perforations, lower ends of the receptacles eachmerging into a circular end ring with a central opening, lower ends ofthe side-walls of the receptacles jointly spanning a plane extending inparallel with an upper side of the supporting structure, the end ringsprojecting beyond the plane jointly spanned by the lower ends of theside-walls; an upper side formed as a plate-shaped carrier, theside-walls and the receptacles projecting perpendicularly from theplate-shaped carrier; and a plurality of guide ribs formed on theside-walls in corner regions of the receptacles and extending in alongitudinal direction of the receptacles.
 21. A transport structure,consisting of: a supporting structure comprising a plurality ofreceptacles configured to receive the containers, the receptacles beingarranged in a regular arrangement and formed by side-walls which areeach of circumferential construction, an upper side of the supportingstructure being formed as a plate-shaped carrier, and the side-walls andthe receptacles projecting perpendicularly from the plate-shapedcarrier, the receptacles of the supporting structure being polygonal inshape when viewed in a plan view, a side-wall is formed as a commonpartition wall between respective two directly adjacent receptacles ofthe plurality of receptacles; and a plurality of containers forsubstances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications held bythe supporting structure such that the containers are accommodated atleast in sections in the receptacles of the supporting structure. 22.The transport structure of claim 21, wherein a height of the respectivecommon partition wall corresponds substantially to an axial length ofthe two directly adjacent receptacles and the respective commonpartition wall is formed from a solid material over at least 80% of theheight.
 23. The transport structure of claim 22, wherein a plurality ofside-walls are formed as common partition walls and the common partitionwalls, viewed in a cross-section, are each formed in one piece andwithout perforations.
 24. The transport structure of claim 21, whereinthe side-walls of the receptacles are each formed as flat partitionwalls and the side-walls of directly adjacent receptacles converge in aconnecting region which extends respective in a longitudinal directionof the receptacles and is arranged in a corner region of the respectivereceptacles.